Facts about Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic conditions that affect body movement and muscle coordination. The condition, which is caused by damage to a specific area of the brain, most often occurs during fetal development during pregnancy.

Though cerebral palsy is not a progressive condition, the secondary conditions associated with it may get worse over time. One such secondary condition quite often associated with cerebral palsy is muscle spasticity, wherein certain muscles of the body are continuously signaled by the brain to tighten and contract. Although it is considered as a non-curable condition in accepted sense, it is observed that training and therapy do help in improving the condition.

Facts about Cerebral Palsy

• The term cerebral palsy is derived from the combination of two words; cerebral referring to the brain, and palsy referring to muscle weakness or poor control of muscles.
• William Little, an English surgeon, mentioned about a puzzling condition which affected children in the initial years of their life, especially during infancy, way back in 1860s. The condition was characterized by stiffness and spasms in muscles of the legs and arms.
• In 1897, Sigmund Freud, a noted psychiatrist, noted that children having cerebral palsy were also vulnerable to problems like mental retardation and visual disturbances. He observed that the roots of this condition can be traced back to the development of the child's brain in the womb.
• Cerebral palsy is assumed to be the second most common neurological impairment found among children. Though it is not communicable, the number of people having cerebral palsy is high.
• According to United Cerebral Palsy (UPC), the number of people having cerebral palsy in the United States is approximately 800,000.
• Information on cerebral palsy compiled by March of Dimes, a United States health charity organization, states that 2 - 3 of every 1000 children have cerebral palsy.
• A research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States revealed that every year around 10,000 babies develop cerebral palsy. Around 8000 to 10,000 babies are diagnosed with this condition annually.
• A study by the National Institute of Neurological conditions and Strokes (NINDS) revealed that 2/3 of children with cerebral palsy are vulnerable to mental impairment. Approximately 45% children having cerebral palsy are vulnerable to epilepsy as well.
• It was observed that cerebral palsy was developed due to brain injury during birth in approximately 20% of children who were diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy.
• Spasticity of limbs is one of the most common disability associated with people with cerebral palsy. Other disabilities include motor disabilities like diplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia.
• The risk of cerebral palsy increases 12 folds in twin pregnancy as compared to singleton pregnancy, which is attributed to factors such as low birth weight and prematurity related to twins.
• Of the children with cerebral palsy, 84.5% receive physical therapy six times per month, 50% receive occupational therapy five times a month and 37% receive speech therapy five times a month.

Cerebral palsy may not be curable, but there are some measures which can be taken to prevent it. During pregnancy, women have to go through routine Rh factor checks. If Rh is found to be negative, they have to be immunized within 72 hours from giving birth, to prevent the problems associated with blood incompatibility in subsequent pregnancies. Prevention of prematurity, reducing exposure to infectious virus and bacteria, avoiding too much exposure to x-rays and medications, control of diseases like diabetes and anemia, preventing nutritional deficiencies can also help in prevention of cerebral palsy. The most important aspect of the measures taken to keep cerebral palsy at bay is adequate prenatal care and protecting infants from injuries.